In November 2017, the Supreme Court of India directed Hadiya to resume her internship, and indicated that she was free to meet whomever she wanted.

Hadiya, who grew up as Akhila Ashokan, was born to a family from Vaikom, Kottayam, as the only child of an atheist ex-serviceman, K.M.

[32] While pursuing her bachelor's degree at Sivaraj Homeopathic Medical College at Salem, she converted to Islamic faith.

[9] Hadiya insisted in the High Court that her conversion was a personal choice, her family argued that she was the victim of love jihad.

[32] The High Court also said in its order that "Shefin Jahan is one such person who has been assigned to play the role of going through a sham of a marriage with Ms. Akhila, with the object of transporting her out of India.

"[9] She told the court she had been practicing Islam for 3 years without formally announcing the change of faith, but that she started the legal procedure for conversion only by September 2015.

However, her roommates' father Aboobacker refused to let her continue at his residence, following which she approached Satya Sarani, an educational institution and conversion centre at Manjeri, Malappuram.

[10] At the High Court of Kerala, Hadiya's father filed a habeas corpus petition alleging that Satya Sarani was involved in "forced and illegal" religious conversions.

The court dismissed Ashokan's petition and let Hadiya continue learning Islam and live with Zainaba, observing that she was not in illegal confinement.

[10] Following this, Ashokan filed a second petition in August 2016, alleging that Hadiya was likely to be transported out of the country after marriage to a Muslim man.

[9] Though Hadiya denied planning to travel abroad, the court directed her to stay at a women's hostel in Kochi.

"[9] Close to a year after she had left home and formally converted, she appeared in court with a man named Shafin Jahan, who she said she had married.

Hadiya's lawyer later informed the High Court that she had signed up on a Muslim matrimony website, and that Shafin's proposal came through the site.

[52] However, the chairperson of National Commission for Women visited her and noted that she was "happy and smiling", "her health and security are good", and that Hadiya did not report any atrocities or harm done to her.

At the Supreme Court, Hadiya expressed her will to continue practicing Islam, live with her husband and complete her internship.

[5][42] Evidence adduced by the NIA showed that claims that Hadiya met Safin Jehan through matrimony website 'waytonikah.com' was "totally false and entirely bogus".

[3] The NIA further alleged that the only condition of the handlers who arranged their marriage was that the groom should be an active worker of the PFI, a radical outfit.

"[55]This was seen positive development as earlier Supreme Court was criticised for not adding Hadiya as a party and denying an adult woman agency in an important matter like marriage choice.

[citation needed] The probe by the investigation agency has also revealed certain discrepancies in the couple's earlier claim about meeting on a matrimonial site.